ut your consent."

"I thought as much! Does Dolly want to marry you?"

"I do not know," said Sandie with a smile; "but I believe I may say
that she will marry nobody else."

"Ay, there it is. I have other views for my daughter."

"And I thought you were engaged to Miss Thayer?" put in Mrs. Copley.

"True; I was; but that was a boyish mistake. We have all other views.
Miss Thayer is to marry your friend, Mr. St. Leger."

"Christina!" cried Mrs. Copley. "Didn't I know Mrs. Thayer would do
that, if she could! And now she has done it. And Christina has thrown
you over?"

"Not at all," said Sandie, again with a smile. "And you have not to
blame Mrs. Thayer, so far as I know. Miss Thayer and I are very good
friends, but we were never intended to marry each other. We have found
that out, and acted accordingly."

"And she has got him!" Mrs. Copley repeated. "I told Dolly she would
like to do that. Put their two fortunes together, and they will have
enough," said poor Mrs. Copley. "That comes of our going to Sorrento!"

"Look here, young man," said Mr. Copley. "If I give you Dolly, as you
say, after she has given herself,--the witch!--what are you and she
going to live on?"

"We have something to live on," said the young man with quiet
independence.

"Not much, I'll be sworn!"

"Not perhaps what you would call much. A lieutenant in the navy is not
likely to have more than a very moderate fortune."

"Fortune! What do you call a fortune?"

"Enough to live on."

"Are you ever going to be a captain?"

"I cannot say. But there is some prospect of it."

"Things might be worse, then," grumbled Mr. Copley. "Anyhow, you have
tied my tongue, my fine fellow. I can't say a word against you. But
look here;--if you don't want a wife that will rule you, I advise you
not to marry my Dolly. She's a witch for having her own way. 'My
Dolly'!" Mr. Copley half groaned. "I suppose now she's your Dolly. I
don't want to give her to any man, that's the truth."

"And I thought all this nursing had been so disinterested!" said Mrs.
Copley dolefully.

Sandie's answer to this was conclusive, of the subject and the
conversation both. He went up to Mrs. Copley, took her hand, and bent
down and kissed her. Just at that moment they were called to supper;
and Mrs. Copley, completely conquered, went down with all her
reproaches smothered in the bud. Yet I confess her face showed a
conflict of feelings as she entered the kitchen. It was cl